Social media is an extremely popular method that brands use to connect and reach out to their consumers. For whichever platform your company prefers to use, there are several notes to keep in mind to avoid unfollowers and uninterested customers.

Let’s take a look at this graphic displaying consumer sentiment on brand behaviors from research conducted this year, taken from Sprout Social. Some of the more controversial topics that a brand might post about are at the bottom of the list, and a large chunk of the surveyed group openly find those posts “annoying.” The graphic even splits the information up by generation, which can help you narrow down your posts based on your specific audience.

A pattern is established within this piece of information. Consumers are more attracted to brands who focus on themselves and their customers. Content such as videos and GIFs tend to appeal to more people than not, probably because that’s new, trendy, and frankly, preventing your brand from trying to hard to fall under the ‘cool’ category. It’s impossible to please everyone on social media, but it is possible to know your target audience and figure out what they’re into.

Aside from the different formats you may choose for your social platform, there’s also the idea of keeping things organized and aesthetically pleasing. When you’re connecting with consumers online, you’re branding for your company. In doing this, making sure you have a cohesive Instagram page just might gain you an extra follower, connecting you with more consumers. Use fun colors, experiment with filters, and avoid unfollowers by keeping up with the theme you create.

Another key to connecting with your consumers on social media is ensuring you are active online and aware of current trends. Staying active means you are interacting with your viewers/followers almost every day. This way, they don’t lose interest and are always updated on your latest work. Knowing what’s trending online at the moment is also important because it can draw in a specific target audience. Whether it’s memes, GIFs, video clips, etc., posting about your brand while hinting at something popular can gain attention.

Connecting with consumers doesn’t have to be too difficult, considering the resources and technology that we have access to today. Using social media is a great and easy way to interact with people without having to reach out to anyone personally. As long as you keep your posts engaging using some of the tips above, you’ll be communicating with an audience and simultaneously growing your following.